Vita Perserverat
by hazelmom
Summary: My Director's Cut for the Season 10 premiere. Told in two parts. Spoilers for season 9 Finale. Tony/Tim friendship
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I have a lot of writing to get to right now, but the finale is stuck in my head. I finally had to get it out in my own vision for the season 10 premiere. Hopefully, the rest of my writing goes this well. It will be in two parts. Let me know what you think. Sheila

Vita Perserverat

Part I of II

Vance stood in front of his destroyed agency as fire and rescue people around him shouted orders; people ran in all directions as trapped personnel were identified in the wreckage. It was a proud building that had long housed men and women dedicated seeking justice for Navy crimes. Now, it was filled with smoke and debris, and the dead remains of some of those honorable men and women. He knew that there were living ones still inside, and at this moment, he was dedicated only to their safe retrieval.

There were shouts to his left, and a firefighter in full gear was leading a grime covered Tony DiNozzo from the building. They were followed by another firefighter holding up a limping Ziva David. Vance closed his eyes and allowed himself a choked sigh. Blinking wildly, he looked away. There were so many others including a young agent from Gibbs' team whom he had high regard.

A Marine captain in firefighting gear approached and Vance steeled himself. "Sir, our current total is 34 injured and 9 dead."

"Have your people been able to get to the upper floors of the building?"

The Captain shook his head. "The integrity of the structure is in question. The Army Corps of Engineers is on its way. For right now, none of my people are allowed past the first floor."

"I still have people up there, Captain. I saw them as I was evacuating. There's a young man who was downloading vital…I have…there were several people up there doing what was necessary to protect the ongoing operation of this agency."

The Captain nodded. "I can appreciate that, and I know they deserve the best we have to offer, but my people are important too, Sir."

Vance nodded. "Please let me know when the Army Corps of Engineers has gotten here. We can't waste a single minute."

The Captain planted a phone on his face and began barking orders as he moved off to his command post.

Vance returned to staring at his building. Only moments had passed when he felt another presence at his side. He turned his head to find Special Agent Tony DiNozzo looking at him, eyes blazing. "Reporting for duty, Sir."

Vance looked him over. Through the grime and torn clothing, he could see that DiNozzo was holding one arm closely to his side. "DiNozzo, the first order of business is for you to locate your team. It's the best way we have of identifying those still missing."

"Agent David is getting first aid care at that station over there. I haven't located anyone else. McGee's gotta' be somewhere around here helping. We sent him out ahead while we searched the 3rd floor. I'm concerned about Gibbs. He was with Cole and they were trying to diffuse the bomb. I'm also worried that Abby Scuito was still in her lab. Do you have news on anyone?"

Suddenly, Vance remembered the phone Pamela had handed him 20 minutes ago, and the sense of tragedy in him deepened. "Agent DiNozzo, there are efforts being made to extricate people from the area of the lab. I would suggest you look there."

Tony nodded and started to move off, but Vance grabbed his shoulder. "I have bad news for you, son. I received a call from Jimmy Palmer a little while ago. Upon being informed of our…tragedy, Dr. Mallard suffered a coronary event. Mr. Palmer called me from the emergency room. They were working to revive him. I don't know the outcome."

DiNozzo stared at him for a long moment and then shook his head sharply. "I have to find my team."

Vance started to tell him about McGee, but the man was already heading toward the lab. The bad news was coming in such bursts that it felt important to parcel it out. He made no effort to call him back.

….

Tony's arm had a strange numbing that mingled with the sharp pain that erupted when he moved it. He knew enough about broken bones to know that his forearm needed to be set again. Yet, he didn't his forearm to move or to think, and so it took a backseat to everything else.

The news about Ducky throbbed in his gut. It was surreal to be in the middle of this terrible devastation, and to think one of the few people he loved who was safe from it was in the fighting for his life. The irony was cruel. He'd glanced over to where Ziva was getting a dislocated shoulder immobilized. The one he loved the most deeply had been spared, and he'd felt such a profound relief when she opened her eyes to him in that damaged elevator that he'd almost burst into tears. He had to keep save now. No news for her until he knew more. She would ignore her injuries for the people she loved and he desperately needed her to be okay.

Firefighters and other rescue personnel were crowded around the broken windows to Abby's basement lab. There were shouts from inside the broken building. He climbed over debris and tried to get close, but someone grabbed him by his bad arm and pulled. He howled in pain and jerked. "Leave me alone!"

A young Marine in firefighting gear was there. "I'm sorry, man, but you gotta' get out of the way."

"I have a friend in there. I need to know if she's okay."

"She got black ponytails?"

"Yeah."

"Her leg is trapped under a beam, but she's stable. The building isn't though so we have to be careful about shifting it too much."

"I should be in there. She'll be scared."

"She's not alone. There's a man in there helping to keep her calm."

Tony felt relief flood through him. Of course, McGee would be where Abby was. He probably headed straight for the lab after the explosion or more likely, he'd headed for the basement to get her out of there before the explosion even happened. He looked at the Marine. "A guy named McGee?"

The Marine shrugged. "I don't know. We aren't exactly exchanging pleasantries in there."

There was a shout and then a flurry of activity. The Marine looked at Tony before running away. "I think they got her loose. Wait here."

Tony stood like a statue while numerous bodies blocked the entrance to the lab. Then he caught sight of a backboard being threaded through the broken windows. He saw thick-soled black boots with studs on the backboard and he gave a shout of satisfaction. The rest of her appeared and he pushed toward her. With his good arm, he muscled past one of the rescue workers and caught her free hand. "Abs!"

Wet, frightened eyes found him. "Tony!"

"Hey, it's okay. You look good."

She clutched his hand tightly. "Is everyone okay?"

He gave a weird nod of the head. "Ziva's got a banged up shoulder, but she's going to be fine. I just gotta' figure where the Boss is."

"He's with me, Tony. He's been with me the whole time."

Tony groaned a sigh. "Thank God. I was worr—I just didn't know where he went to."

Abby's eyes darted around. "Where's Timmy?"

Tony gave her a crooked smile. "We sent him out ahead. He's undoubtedly running around here somewhere getting in people's way. I'm gonna' let go of you now and check on the boss. Okay?"

She nodded but he still had to peel her fingers off his. He watched as they slid the backboard on a gurney and headed toward the aid station. He yelled after her. "Ziva will be glad to see you!"

He turned just as they pulled Leroy Jethro Gibbs through the broken windows. The boss was disheveled and covered in dust. Tony moved toward him. "Boss!"

Gibbs blinked through the dust. "Tony!"

"I'm okay. Ziva's okay."

Gibbs seemed unsteady on his feet, and Tony put his good arm around his waist. "It's good to see you, Boss. I was worried that you and Cole—it's really good to see you."

"Where's McGee?"

For the first time, Tony hesitated as he scanned the scene. "Ziva and I sent him out ahead of us while we evacuated the 3rd floor. All he had to do was download Dearing's file. We weren't going to let that bastard destroy our evidence."

Gibbs nodded. "Good."

"I'm going to walk you over to the Aid station."

"Where's Vance?"

"He's standing over there imagining ways to disembowel Dearing with a butter knife."

"I better check in."

"He can wait a minute. You're not so steady on your feet. Plus, I have news."

Gibbs looked at him sharply.

Tony kept his eyes on the Aid station they were approaching. "Jimmy Palmer called Vance. He probably tried us, but our phones are dead. Ducky heard about the explosion. He had a heart attack. Jimmy called from the Emergency room. It wasn't good. I don't know the outcome."

Gibbs stopped in his tracks and looked at DiNozzo. "Get Palmer on the phone, Tony. Do it now!"

Tony gently eased him onto a bench and signaled to a medic. Then he took off. Vance's assistant, Pamela, had taken the initial call and she would undoubtedly know how to reach Jimmy.

He found her working her laptop on the hood of a rescue vehicle. Three cell phones were lying beside her. "Pamela, I need to reach Jimmy."

She gave him a quick look and picked up the middle phone. "You have ten minutes with the phone. I'm using this one to call family members of injured personnel. You get it back to me, you hear?"

He nodded.

She looked at her list and scribbled the number on a post it. "This is the number he called me from."

Tony took it and sprinted back to the Aid station. He found Gibbs next to Ziva, toweling dust off his face. Tony punched numbers and handed the phone to Gibbs. Ziva looked up at Tony. "What's going on?"

He couldn't meet her eyes. "Where's Abs?"

"The medics are evaluating her leg. What's going on?"

"Jimmy, talk to me," Gibbs said perfunctorily into the phone. He stood up and walked away.

"Tony?"

He looked into her deep brown eyes. "Ducky had a heart attack. He heard about the explosion and he had a heart attack."

"No!"

Tony sat beside her. Her bad shoulder was on the right and so was his bad arm. There wasn't a way to safely hug her. He reached as closely as he could and whispered into her thick hair. "He'll be okay. I promise you. He'll be okay."

Her eyes were wet and her mouth trembled. She nodded slowly. Metal wheels on pavement sounded, and they looked up to see Abby's gurney coming toward them. She was sitting up holding Bert and smiling. "My leg's not broken. Just badly bruised."

Tony helped Ziva stand and she leaned her good side into Abby's arms. Abby felt Ziva's tears on her cheeks and she pulled back looking into Ziva's face. "What happened?"

"Ducky had a heart attack, Abby."

"But he's safe. He's at Jimmy's wedding."

"It happened when he heard the news about the explosion."

Tears flooded her eyes and Abby moaned. Ziva stroked her face with her good hand. "Think good thoughts, Abby. Gibbs is on the phone with Jimmy right now."

Tony saw Gibbs coming toward them again with the phone at his side. He stiffened. "Boss?"

Gibbs took in the faces of his team. "Ducky is in critical condition right now, but he's breathing on his own."

Abby nodded, trying her best not to dissolve into sobs. Ziva laid her head on Abby's shoulder.

"Is Jimmy going to stay with him?"

Gibbs sighed. "We need him back here. It looks like we have some bodies."

Tony shook his head. "We can't leave Ducky by himself."

"I know. Breena will stay with him through the next 24 hours. We'll take it hour by hour. Tony, walk with me for a minute."

Tony got up, his arm erupting in pain, and followed Gibbs. "Where's McGee?"

"Ziva and I told him to leave before we went up to the 3rd floor."

Gibbs shook his head. "Then where is he? If McGee was out here helping, why haven't we seen him? He would've been at this Aid station looking for us by now."

"Maybe, Vance has him doing something."

Gibbs shook his head. "I don't like it."

Tony felt it in his gut now. It had been flooded with emotions for the last couple of hours that he hadn't really understood it, but now he clearly felt the wrongness of McGee's absence. "Let me go talk to Vance."

Gibbs looked off into the distance. "I gotta' call Jimmy again. He's looking for a Navy transport."

Tony brought the phone back to Pamela with a nod, and then headed toward Vance. The man was still fixated on the wreck of the building he'd been responsible the last five years. It was as if he hadn't moved a muscle since Tony last talked to him. "Director?"

Vance turned his head. "Did you talk to Mr. Palmer?"

"Ducky is in critical condition, but he's holding his own."

"I don't know where they are. Are there Navy resources nearby? Is it a good hospital? We can send a specialist."

"I get all the particulars to Pamela."

"Good."

"Sir, have you seen McGee?"

"I have."

"We've been a bit worried."

Vance sighed. "I saw him as I was leaving my office. He was downloading files. I'm sure it was Dearing's file. McGee's meticulous about those things, isn't he?"

Tony frowned. "I thought it would only take a few minutes."

"I'm sure some of those files were quite large. I told him to leave, and he said he would. He said, "Just a second, Director", but he was still at his desk when I went down the stairs. I got out and waited. He wasn't the only one in there scrambling to save evidence or photos or…I don't know. Two people came down those stairs after me, and then everything exploded."

As if in slow motion, Tony looked back at Gibbs who was watching him steadily. He said nothing but the expression on his face must've been clear because Gibbs closed his eyes and shook his head.

Tony turned back to Vance. "Are you sure he didn't get out?"

Vance's eyes never left the building. "He's still in there, DiNozzo."

Tony looked at the mess that was their building. Fire hoses were pointed at small conflagrations at various windows. Bricks and mortar lay everywhere, and dust hung in the air everywhere. "They're searching for him?"

Vance rubbed his mustache absently. "Hopefully, he never got to the stairwell. It collapsed five minutes ago. It's all just a pile of concrete now. If he didn't, then we have to wait. The building isn't structurally sound enough for a floor to floor search."

Tony looked around. There was help everywhere he looked. Emergency personnel outnumbered victims two to one at this point. He just needed to get to the second floor. There had to be a ladder truck.

Vance shook his head. "I can see the wheels turning in your head. I wish it were as simple as running up a flight of stairs or getting a ladder, but the building's foundation is unstable. We could end up doing more harm than good. It's not our operation anymore. The folks that do this are in charge."

"He's my partner."

"And one of the best agents I've ever known. I liked that kid from the day I met him, but we're out of our depth here. We got the best search and rescue people in the world on their way, and I'm going to stand right here until they get here so I can point at the place I last saw my agents alive."

Tony stared at the windows he, McGee, and Ziva looked out of everyday. The kid was up there lying on the floor. Maybe he wasn't dead. Maybe he was breathing. Maybe he was calling for help, but they couldn't hear in the tremendous cacophony that accompanied the fire engines. Maybe he was praying that someone would remember where he was when the explosion hit.

"DiNozzo!"

Vance had a feverish look in his eyes. "Don't get lost! There's a cranky, bald son of a bitch out there who just tried to destroy our agency! Get Gibbs! Do something with that arm! I'm going to watch him for you while you and that old jarhead of a boss get out there and find that asshole! Call Fornell! He'll give you resources. I want Dearing now!"

Tony looked up at their windows once more. "Take care of him for us, Sir."

Vance nodded sharply and turned back to his vigil.

Tony turned and walked back toward the Aid station. Gibbs was alone now, waiting for him. EMT's had undoubtedly loaded Ziva and Abby into an ambulance. He tried to reach for his phone, but he grimaced loudly as he remembered his injury and then the phone that lie in pieces on the elevator floor.

His mouth twitched as he thought about how to explain things, but Gibbs didn't seem to have many questions. He launched in as soon as Tony was close. "I have a phone now. Pamela's handing them out. Fornell is on his way. You need a cast before you can be of any use."

Tony nodded, suddenly of how exhausted he felt.

Gibbs slowed. "He's still up there?"

"He was still uploading Dearing's file when Vance hit the stairs. The building is too unstable right now. We don't know…he's up there."

"Are you trained in search and rescue?"

Tony shook his head.

"But you're a trained investigator, Tony."

"Boss…"

"We're not walking away from him. We're doing what we know to do. The alternative is for us to stand around like statues waiting for McGee to get rescued while Dearing plans his next attack."

Tony looked back once more.

Gibbs put a hand on his neck. "We're going to get him back, Tony."

Tony closed his eyes and prayed.

…..

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I promised two chapters and so here it is. This is probably the longest chapter I've ever written. I wanted this to be the season premiere as I envisioned it. I hope you enjoy and I'm dying to hear what you think. Sheila

Vita Perservat Part II of II

McGee struggled to breath, but his nose was full of dust. He opened his mouth and started choking. He felt movement on his face, and for a moment, he thought there was another person. Then he realized the fingers were his own, and he felt for his nose, trying to free it of dust. It felt like there was paste all over his face, and then his fingers dragged across glass in his cheek and he howled. Only one eye would open, and what he saw on his hand through the dusty haze was dark red. He called for help, but his voice seemed so very far away. It was as if he was yelling from a distant room. It was all so confusing and frightening, but he closed his eye again, and tried to reason it through. He paid attention to sound, and couldn't identify anything other than distant echoes. He called for help again, and his voice sounded like he was ten feet under water.

He struggled for movement, but it was as if his body was divorced from him. The only response he got was from the dark red hand on his face. Then a memory descended on him, and he saw himself lifted among a sea of glass and then dropped. Fear surged through him. The explosion they had all feared, happened.

He forced his eye opened again, but he couldn't see anything. The air was so thick with dust, and when he opened his mouth, it seemed to swallow his screams.

He lay still and waited for more memories. Where was Boss? Where were Tony and Ziva? He saw himself on the phone telling Abby to leave her lab and run. She started to argue with him. Major Mass Spec was finishing the samples from Dearing's last explosion. He yelled at her, ordered her to leave, and she got quiet. He remembered that she got quiet but then she promised to leave. He remembered a sense of relief running through him. He thanked her, and then hung up while his computer struggled to download all the Dearing files.

A sadness washed over him. Were they all dead? Or was he the only one lying in glass, breathing in dust? Could they also be trapped in this silent world filled with dust? The fear of it consumed him, and he struggled to contain his breathing. They had to be alive, he reasoned. They had to be. He felt teary as he played over and over in his head the mantra that they had to be okay.

…..

He watched her from the doorway as the nurse helped her get her shirt back on. She kept her eyes on him, angry and wet. "He's still in the building, isn't he?"

He nodded at her. The break to his forearm was a closed fracture. They'd put him in a simple, removable cast.

Ziva jerked away from the nurse. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid. I felt it. I knew something was wrong, but there was just so much happening, and I didn't want to face it. I made excuses until Boss called me on it. Vance confirmed it."

Ziva slid off the bed, ignoring the pain that seized her body. "I can't believe this! We're going back there now."

"We're not going back," Gibbs slipped past Tony into her room. Fornell followed him. "We have work to do."

"He needs us, Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded. "I know."

For a moment, they let the words hang in the air.

Fornell stepped forward. "McGee sent me two secured files with information about Dearing minutes before the explosion. He must've wondered if he could get all the evidence on a flash drive in time. The files contain enough information for us to get up to speed. My boss got the okay from Vance, and I got four teams of agents ready to hunt this animal."

DiNozzo's mouth twitched. "He mailed you files?"

Gibbs nodded. "That's McGee."

"I feel like we're abandoning him."

"Ziva, we don't have anything to offer back there. We have to hunt the man who did this because that's what we know how to do. Vance assures me that the best search and rescue teams in the country are on the scene as we speak. I don't know what else to say." Gibbs seemed lost much like he'd been after Kate's death. Ziva gave Tony a puzzled look.

"All right then. Are we ready to work? I got BOLO's out, and Dearing's picture has been sent to ZNN. I know this hump likes to show you how close he can get. What do you want to bet he's nearby watching the rescue efforts?"

Gibbs looked at Fornell sharply. "We set up a net: agents converging on the building in every direction. He's out there and he wants me to know how close he can get. His arrogance is going to be his downfall."

"Good! You're waking up, Jethro. We hang a net. We'll work from four corners. Each one of us will be in charge of an area, and we'll work the agents in from that corner. Understood?"

Tony shuddered. "I get my hands on that bastard and all bets are off."

Fornell shook his head. "I don't even have words for you on this. If you kill him, I'll bring you a cake on visiting day."

Gibbs worked his mouth for a moment before speaking. "I'm not a churchgoing man. I figure a person's religion is their personal affair, but I want to take a moment- all of us. I want to take a moment to be silent; to send good thoughts…prayers for Ducky and for McGee. We can't be there for them, but I want them to know that they're not alone."

Tony took Ziva's hand and put a hand on Gibbs' shoulder, closing his eyes and bowing his head. The rest of them followed suit. Nobody made a sound for a while. Then Tony patted Gibbs' back. "Let's go do this thing!"

He turned and left the room without another word.

…..

It was hard to get close to his mentor hooked up to as many machines as he was, but Jimmy maneuvered until he was close to Ducky's ear. "Dr. Mallard, it's Jimmy. I'm squeezing your hand. Can you feel it?"

Ducky's face didn't move.

"That's okay, Dr. Mallard. You take your time. Your heart needs a rest. It took quite a hit. I guess mine would've too if I'd taken that phone call. It's beating pretty hard as it is…but, ah, make no mistake. I'm good…and I'm strong."

Jimmy took a breath. Talking was difficult with the grapefruit sized lump that was sitting in his throat.

"Agent Gibbs called. "They need another M.E. on the scene. I would've told him where to stick it, but I know you. You would want me to be there, and there's no one in this world I'd least like to disappoint. I'm going to go because I know it's what you want."

Ducky stirred and Jimmy searched him for signs that he was regaining consciousness, but it was merely involuntary movement. The phone on his belt buzzed, and Jimmy looked at the face of it briefly.

"Dr. Mallard, I got a Marine transport outside. They're going to take me to a helicopter and fly me back to D.C. I gotta' say I'm feeling mighty important right now. I hate to leave you, but Breena's going to be here. She's not going to leave you."

His phone buzzed again, and he started away but then stopped. "Dr. Mallard, you mean everything to me, and I'm not ready to say good-bye to you. None of us are. Please, please be okay. We need you."

He waited for a moment as if expecting some sort of acknowledgement, but the only response was the beeping of the machines. He nodded slowly before leaving. "Good-bye, Dr. Mallard."

…

Abby was wearing hospital greens and clutching a bottle of Percocet as she eased into the cab. The pain in her badly bruised leg made her wince as she sat.

Gibbs had been in her hospital room distractedly mumbling assurances when it dawned on her that all of the excuses he was making about McGee's absence were lies. He was literally incapable of telling her the truth. She wanted to scream and pound on tables to get him to look her in the eye, but he wore the same heaviness on his face that he had when Kate had been killed. He had been intractable then and would be now. She pretended to accept his stories, and promised him she would rest the night in the hospital.

After he left, she slid off the bed, moaning in pain, and began a search for her clothes. They were in tatters, but she grabbed a nurse, and 45 minutes later, she was discharged wearing scrubs and carrying enough pain medication to keep herself somewhat comfortable. She had no plan other than getting back onto the Navy Yard and being there when McGee was found.

…

McGee woke again. It was darker now and the noise in his ears still sounded like the roar of the ocean surf. His hand found his face again, and the wetness he'd felt earlier was now sticky and dry. He now knew that the dark red grime on his hand had to be blood mixed with dust. He wondered how badly he'd been injured in the blast. His free hand travelled down along his body, but was stopped by a large object before he reached his legs. His breath caught as he realized he was trapped under something. He pushed and pulled at it exhaustively, but it didn't move.

Breathing hard, he stopped and rested his arm on the ground. There seemed to be shards of glass everywhere so he felt around gingerly for a safe spot. His fingers rested on something familiar and he stopped to pick it up and feel it. His eye could only make out an outline of a small component. It was a flash drive, and then in the midst of the destruction and the fear, McGee felt peace. It had to be the flash drive; the one he'd almost died to protect.

He folded it up into his hand. He had no idea how long it would take for anyone to find him, but when they did, they were going to find that flash drive. Dearing wasn't going to get away with anything.

…

"You think he's gone by now?"

"Don't think so, Tobias. He doesn't know if I'm dead or alive. He thinks the agency is in chaos, and you know he can't resist an opportunity to send video of how close he was. He lives for the pain he inflicts. He can't enjoy it if he can't see it."

"My people are moving through the neighborhoods, staying casual."

"Take it slow. We don't want him getting through this net."

"I got a call from one of my agents saying that DiNozzo is chatting through their earwigs like he's doing play by play for the Yankees."

Gibbs grinned into his phone. "I'm sure it's annoying as hell, but he gets results."

"I know. I told the agent exactly that."

"Hold on, Tobias. I got Ziva on the other line."

Fornell waited until Gibbs clicked back on. "3rd St. N and Colorado. Ziva reports a man matching Dearing's description parked a white Lexus and walked away from it 20 minutes ago."

Fornell's breath caught. "Got an ID on the car?"

"It's a rental. Ziva's got an agent on the line with the agency right now."

"We have to evacuate that block."

"He could just be trying to get close to the Navy Yard. It's about half a mile north. There isn't anything distinguished about the neighborhood."

"And if we're wrong and it blows…it's a big risk, Jethro."

"Ziva is scouting it as we speak. I think I know what he's doing. I'll meet you there in five."

The phone in Fornell's hand went dead. He shook his head and cursed.

…..

"Dornegut! Get your butt over here!"

The young agent came running over to where Vance still stood vigil. Vance glared at him. "I told you an hour ago to send Ms. Scuito back at the hospital."

Dornegut looked up at the top of the hill where Abby Scuito was seated on a blanket, another blanket from the Aid station wrapped around her shoulders. "Sir, I tried but she said she'd bite me if I touched her and if you know Abby, you know she'll do it."

"And you're more afraid of her than me?"

Dornegut stood up tall. "Sir, she's here for McGee. I send her back to the hospital, and she'll be back here within the hour. I haven't been here long, but I've been here long enough to know that she feels something powerful for him. She's not going anywhere until we find him."

Vance turned and looked up at her for a moment. "Check on her every hour and make sure she's comfortable."

Dornegut nodded and took off. Vance signaled over a man in uniform. "Captain, I need an update on search and rescue. I still got people up there."

"The Army Corps of Engineers is bringing in a crane. Should be here within the hour. We're going to send in a couple of trained people to do a cursory assessment."

Vance nodded. "I don't have to tell you how important these people are or how much they've sacrificed by staying as long as they did."

"No sir, Director Vance. We are very aware of the sacrifices they've made. I'll let you know when the crane gets here."

Vance nodded and turned his attention back to his crippled building. He felt a hand on his arm and turned to see his wife, Jackie, standing there with a bottle of water. "Honey, you shouldn't be here."

She shook her head. "I sent the kids to my mother's. This is exactly where I should be. Take the water."

He nodded, taking the water and drinking a long draw. She pressed a power bar into his hand. "Eat it when you can. Now, tell me where you need me. I know I'm not helping by standing here with you. This building needs only one guard dog."

He swiveled his head and looked up at Abby Scuito. "See that woman up there. She's waiting to hear about a young man she loves very much. Maybe, she could use some company."

Jackie reached up and kissed her husband's cheek. "I'm so proud of you, Leon."

…..

Ziva David didn't let a dislocated shoulder slow her down nor did she heed the protests of Fornell's agents. Without waiting for direction, she positioned agents at each corner of the street and she trotted up to the vehicle. Using her tools, she broke into the trunk and shined a flashlight. It was clean and empty. She closed the trunk and felt his hand on her arm. "What are you doing?"

She pulled away from Tony and hissed. "It has to be done!"

He crouched behind the trunk of the car next to her. "We haven't lost enough today?"

"Tony, look at me. We have to get this done. I can't maneuver under the car to check for a bomb with my shoulder."

He stared at her and then grabbed the flashlight from her. He lie down in the street and worked himself underneath the carriage, taking time to shine the light everywhere. He felt her next to him the whole time. No amount of yelling was going to send her for cover. Finally, he sighed, "All clear", and she helped to pull him out.

…

"You and your people are out of control, Jethro," Tobias said as he climbed into Gibbs' car.

Gibbs was looking straight ahead. "I know. We have to be in order to shut this thing down."

"What are you looking at?"

"He's been driving around the Navy Yard for weeks to set this up, and he picked an interesting street to leave that car. This is an older part of the city. There is a trail up there that leads to a small park. City doesn't really keep it up much anymore. The equipment is rusted and there's no parking. The one interesting thing about that park is that it sits on a hill, and it's at just the right angle to see into the Navy Yard."

"You think he's up there enjoying the view."

"It's dark and isolated. Nobody's looking for him up there. He's just sitting up there with the mosquitoes looking at his work."

"I need a map. We gotta' figure out how to surround him."

"Not going to have to," Gibbs mumbled as he felt for his gun. A dark figure emerged from the path.

"He doesn't know me. I'll approach," said Fornell as he eased out the passenger door, one hand on his gun. Gibbs didn't respond. He'd slipped out the driver's side and was crouching against the side of the car.

Fornell took a deep breath and took a leisurely stroll toward the path. The dark figure hesitated and then made the decision to move forward onto the sidewalk. He was a man wearing a sweatshirt and jeans looking everything like a neighbor taking an evening walk. Fornell noted the dark glasses in the evening and the sweatshirt in the sweltering heat. He bided his time looking at nothing in particular until he got about ten yards away and then he raised a hand in greeting.

The dark figure stiffened, and Fornell watched the subtle movements a person makes when they are thinking their actions. The man decided on a nod in response, and a moment after Fornell passed him, he turned on his heel gracefully as he pulled his gun. All he said was "Dearing", and the man froze in place.

Out of nowhere, Gibbs appeared pointing his gun and barking, "On the ground!"

Dearing hesitated but it didn't matter because with his attention on Gibbs, Fornell rushed him, throwing one arm around his neck and sticking his gun in his back.

Dearing was a man capable of hurting many, but he didn't have the skills to face the individual. He threw up his hands and said nothing while Gibbs descended on him pointing the gun right between his eyes while Fornell patted him down.

Dearing was breathing like a bull, and he focused in on Gibbs. "You need to know why I had to do this. You need to know why this is your fault, all your fault."

"Shut up, Dearing. Don't make me shoot you! It would be way too easy to put you down right now."

"You don't understand, Agent Gibbs. I had to do this—"

"Shut up! I'm warning you, Dearing. Shut up!"

Fornell clicked the handcuffs as Ziva and Tony came running up to them. "Stand down, Jethro. I got him."

Gibbs didn't move. He stared through Dearing, his gun never wavering.

"I got him, Jethro. Listen to me. We want to give him a good, long time to think about his execution. Hear me? Let's give him a good long time to stew."

Gibbs blinked but the gun didn't drop. Then Tony was there, "Good job, Boss. You know how I hate to agree with Fornell but he's right. Let's give this son of a bitch a good long time to think about things. We got all kinds of time to make this rough on him."

Dearing was sweating profusely but understood the danger of speaking.

"Boss, Ziva's going to take your gun. You're going to feel her hand on your arm. She's going to take your gun because we still have a lot of work to do. The probie needs us, Boss. We need to get back to him."

In that moment, Gibbs turned his head to look at Tony, and Ziva pulled his arm down and covered her hand with his. Carefully, she pulled the gun from his grip.

FBI agents swarmed the area, and Fornell passed a handcuffed Dearing off to them. Dearing looked back at Gibbs. "I want to talk to you. It's important that you understand. I want to talk to you."

Gibbs ignored him now. Fornell patted him on the back. "We might be getting old, Jethro, but we still know how to throw down. What do you want me to do with him?"

Gibbs looked at him. "Put him in a room or a cell. Invoke the Patriot Act. He wants to explain himself, but I don't care. I don't want to listen. Let's just ignore him for a while. He'll hate that worst of all."

Fornell grinned. "I like it. We'll process him and then we'll let him sit. You go take care of your people, and then we'll wait until you call before we do anything with him."

Gibbs nodded. "It's the very least we can do for that bastard."

…..

Lieutenant Hugh Watson had been doing search and rescue for 7 years. He'd done earthquakes in Turkey, Chile, and Kurdistan as well as explosions in France, Indonesia, and Afghanistan. This was his first domestic terrorism assignment, and he was the first to volunteer when they were looking for someone to be lifted with the crane into the second floor of the building. He stepped carefully through the broken window, and used an industrial LED flashlight to illuminate the room. He swept the room, and saw devastation everywhere. He carried a monitor with a heat signature sensitive to human temperature, and he pointed it as he stepped carefully through debris. After a few minutes, he spotted an arm and knelt next to a woman. He couldn't pick up any heat, but he ungloved and took time to feel for a pulse. The woman was cold. He sighed and took out a special fluorescent can and sprayed a yellow X on the debris on top of her. He walked some more, and found a man in a suit lying on a bed of glass. Again, the heat signature didn't signal. He got close enough to see the glass embedded in his chest and neck. He sprayed another large X, and moved on. A few minutes later, his heat monitor finally signaled and he stepped around twisted desks until his flashlight settled on a man trapped under a desk and some concrete debris.

He knelt beside him, and felt for a pulse. The man was covered in dust, and there were shards of glass littered from his face down to his chest. When Lieutenant Watson shined the flashlight on him, the man's eyes popped open. The Lieutenant smiled. It was about time for some good news. "How you doing there?"

The man looked up at him in confusion, and Watson remembered that victims of loud explosions often suffered hearing loss at the outset. He spoke up. "Can you hear me?"

The man gargled and nodded. "Special Agent McGee, Sir."

"Good to meet you, McGee!"

"I'm okay?"

"Well, you're talking, McGee! Always a good sign!"

McGee tried to lift his head. "My team…my friends…is everyone okay?"

Watson patted what part of his shoulder was free of glass while thinking of the bodies he'd already found. "Most folks got out! Right now, you just focus on you!"

McGee lifted his hand. "I have a flash drive. Very important. Has evidence about man responsible for explosion. Can you get it to Agent Gibbs? Very important."

Watson settled back on his haunches. This kid was going to be a soldier to the end. He picked the drive carefully out of McGee's bloody hand. "I'll make sure it gets into the right hands! But don't you worry, McGee! We're going to get you out of here!"

There was a loud crash, and Watson pulled up his flashlight and shined it on a column that crumbled in one corner of the room. That was the danger. The building was unstable, and was going to spend the next couple of days settling. It was going to take some delicate work to get McGee out, and heavy equipment was out of the question. "McGee! I have to leave for you for a little while! Need to bring in some colleagues! Better lighting! Going to dig you out of here in no time!"

McGee swallowed and nodded. "I understand."

A chunk of ceiling dropped with a resounding crash 50 yards away. Watson cursed. This was going to be a nightmare. By all rights, he should report to the Captain that this rescue was a non-starter. There was too much risk involved in bringing people up here for another couple of days, but he'd never before walked out on a survivor before and he wasn't about to now.

He patted the young man once more. "Be back in no time!"

….

Jackie Vance settled in next to Abby with a bottle of water and a sandwich. Abby nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Vance."

"How long since your last pain pill?"

Abby looked at the bottle she still clutched in her hand. "I don't know."

"Give them to me, honey."

Abby handed over the pills and Jackie shook one into her palm. "Take one and drink this water."

Abby did it mechanically and then turned her attention back to the rescue efforts. Jackie reached over and took her hand. "What's his name?"

Abby swallowed. "McGee. Special Agent Timothy McGee."

She nodded. "I've heard Leon talk about him. He says McGee is a very promising agent."

"He's so much more than that. He's the best…person ever. He knows me better than anyone…And he's kind and decent and…I love him." Her bottom lip started trembling and she bit it.

"Hey, it's okay, Abby. Tears don't bother me. You tell me all about this special guy."

Abby leaned over and let her head rest on Jackie Vance's shoulder.

"Good girl," Jackie said, wrapping her arm around Abby's shoulders. Then Abby let go and started sobbing.

….

When Gibbs got to Vance, he was in intense negotiation with the Marine Captain in charge of search and rescue. A Lieutenant wearing rescue gear stood by. "Leon?"

Vance turned and extended his hand. "Good job with Dearing. I couldn't have asked for a quicker outcome. I know what you want next, but I hate to have you here for this."

Gibbs took in the scene. "What's going on?"

"Lieutenant Watson here found him alive, but the Captain here doesn't think we can risk a rescue. The structure is really unstable up there."

"He's okay?"

Watson nodded. "Vitals are strong. He could last a couple more days if the ceiling doesn't collapse on top of him. Are you Gibbs?"

He nodded.

"McGee gave me this." He handed over the flash drive. "He says it's important to your investigation."

Gibbs looked at the flash drive in his hand, and wanted more than anything to throw it as far as he could. There was no possible way this was worth a man's life. He looked at Vance. "I see the crane at the window. You're going to give this man an order to get me up there, and I'm going to get my agent out."

Vance shook his head. "It doesn't work like that."

"My risk, my life. I'm not leaving him up there, Leon."

Watson nodded. "I'm willing to go back up."

"Unacceptable!" the Captain yelled. "There's protocol to be followed here. We don't act like cowboys and we stay alive."

Gibbs turned to Vance. "Leon, he's alive. I'm going up there whether or not you give me access to that crane."

"You're not trained, Gibbs."

Watson spoke. "I am. I just need somebody up there to help me stretcher him out. I'll take the risk."

"It's not that simple, Watson. You can't use equipment. Situation is too unstable. I won't allow it. If you can't free him by hand, you have to abort. 30 minutes, no more. You understand me, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir!" Watson turned and ran to the staging area.

"I'm going up with him, Leon."

Vance nodded. "I know. If I wasn't in charge of this circus, I'd be right there with you."

…..

Jimmy climbed out of the cab and surveyed the devastation. There was no way he was prepared for this nightmare. He walked slowly by search and rescue crews and pockets of employees standing around in shock. He saw Dornegut running by and he yelled for him.

Dornegut stopped. "Hey Jimmy! What do you need?"

"Where's the temporary morgue?"

Dornie pointed to a cordoned off area. "There's 24 bodies so far. I heard rumors that they found a few more on second floor, but they haven't gotten them down. Army is showing up in an hour or two to transport these bodies to CID. I suppose they need refrigeration."

Jimmy stared at the rows of mounds covered in sheets. Undoubtedly some of them were people he knew, people he passed in the hallway; people he stood in line behind when he went for coffee. They were people with families and hopes and dreams. The work that came with retrieving evidence, preserving dignity, talking to families, and preparing people for burial was exhausting. For 24 people, it seemed impossible, but he'd never seen Dr. Mallard be overwhelmed. The old Scot always squared his shoulders and moved into the fray. It was time to make his mentor proud.

Jimmy wiped tears from his eyes and headed over to take his place as an NCIS Medical Examiner.

…

"Gibbs, here's some gear." Watson threw him some pants, suspenders, and a hat. "You don't have to do this, you know."

Gibbs looked up as he wrestled into the pants. "He's my agent. I'm not leaving him up there."

Watson nodded and pointed. "I got a friend here, Lieutenant Steve Jordan. I call him Jordy. He's suiting up over there. He heard I was going back up, and well…he's always got my back. We don't need you, Gibbs."

Gibbs reached for a jacket. "I won't be in your way."

"You look pretty banged up."

"Still going, Lieutenant." Gibbs adjusted the belt on the jacket.

Watson took a breath. "You're thinking we might have to leave him. You're going to stay with him no matter, aren't you?"

Gibbs eyed him warily. "And if it was Jordy up there?"

"Okay, I get it. We're going up in five." Watson walked off to talk to his partner.

"Boss!" Tony came trotting up with Ziva behind him. "We saw Jimmy. He called Breena, but she said that Ducky was still unconscious."

Tony took note of the firefighting gear. "You're going up there. Do you know something about McGee?"

"He's alive but trapped. A couple of guys are going up to attempt a rescue."

Ziva watched him adjusting the suspenders. "Someone at the staging area told us that it was too unstable for rescue efforts."

"We're not going to stay long. Lieutenant Watson knows right where he is. We're going to scoop him up and leave."

Tony scanned the area. "Where can I get a suit?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Nope. You got a bad wing. Same for you, Ziva."

"Four are better than three," Tony argued. He had that fever in his eyes that he always carried when he was resolved on an issue.

Gibbs pointed over to the hill behind them. "Abby's up there. She left the hospital right after we did. She's been sitting up there waiting this whole time. She could use an update, Ziva."

Ziva watched him closely. "Are you telling me everything?"

"You look dead on your feet. A dislocated shoulder is no joke. Sit with her. She's gotta' be desperate for news."

She nodded slowly. "Bring him down, Gibbs. Please bring him down."

"You go tell Abby that's just what we're going to do."

She touched Tony's arm before trudging up the hill toward Abby.

Tony turned to Gibbs. "I'm going up with you."

Gibbs pulled the flash drive out of his pocket. "McGee gave this to Watson. This is what he risked everything for. This is what's going to put Dearing away. You're not going up because we don't need you there and because I need you down here. If anything happens up there, I need you to carry this to the end. I want Dearing put down like the rabid dog he is."

Tony cocked his head. "You're talking like you're not coming down."

"If we can't pull him out without equipment, the Captain in charge of search and rescue is going to shut this down until the Army Corps of Engineers can put up supports. That means he lies up there for another two days with no food or water and debris falling everywhere. I'm not going to let that happen."

Tony shook his head. "No way, Boss! This is wild. We can't lose you too."

"You think we should leave him lie there by himself, wondering if he'd been forgotten or wondering when a chunk of ceiling was going to fall on him and end everything?"

"You ready, Gibbs?" Watson called. He and Jordan were suited up and heading for the crane."

Gibbs stuffed the large pockets of his jacket with bottles of water and energy bars. He stopped to look at DiNozzo. "I'm counting on you, Tony."

There was little left for Tony to do but nod and watch him climb onto the hoist the crane was lifting. His eyes burned as he watched the crane lift them to the second story window. One by the one, they lifted their legs up and over the broken glass and slipped into oblivion.

…..

Despite industrial strength flashlights, it was hard to see. Wherever they flashed a light, dust hung in the air as if forever suspended. Watson led them to the first two X's. Gibbs wanted a chance to identify the two bodies if he could. The woman was an analyst from MTAC, and he remembered that her name was Stephanie but couldn't remember her last name. The man was Harry Denton, an agent who focused on financial crimes. He wondered what kinds of cases they were working on that would've caused them to not evacuate with the others. Or had they been so sure of a false alarm that they'd lagged purposefully. Gibbs had always been one of those people. He regularly ignored fire alarms in the building. If they all made it out of this, he was going to change his ways and turn alarm response into a religion. Anyone ignoring any alarm was going to have to deal with him personally.

Watson shined the light on the third X. "McGee! I'm back, buddy."

There was no response.

Watson gestured at Jordan and Gibbs to stand back while he maneuvered through the debris. "McGee!"

"Thank God," came a muted response.

Gibbs' heart burst. "McGee! Can you hear me?"

"Boss?"

"I'm here, McGee!"

Gibbs lurched forward but Jordan held him back. "Let Watson assess the situation."

Watson set up two lanterns, and gestured to them. "Gibbs, move over here. I want you talking to McGee. Jordy, let's start working on this debris back here."

Using his light, Gibbs found a space near McGee's head. He shone it on him, and saw how deeply he was trapped under desks and other debris. He noted the cuts on his face and his arm, wincing as the light caught pieces of glass still embedded.

"Boss, are you there? It's still hard to hear, but I'd know that voice anywhere."

He carefully knelt beside him. "Hey Tim, it's me."

McGee's breathing quickened. "Is Tony okay? Ziva? Abby?"

Gibbs rested his hand gently on McGee's shoulder. "They are all good. They're waiting outside for us."

"It seems funny. We were so close to going to that wedding. If we had, we'd be dancing with Jimmy and Ducky right now."

Gibbs closed his eyes. There was no way he was going to tell McGee that Jimmy was downstairs trying to serve the numerous victims or that Ducky lay in a hospital bed hundreds of miles away fighting for his life.

"You okay, Boss? I gave someone the evidence. Did you get it?"

That snapped him out of his reverie. "You're going to be okay, McGee. That's going to make all of us okay. And yeah, I got the flash drive."

"We will find Dearing, Boss."

Gibbs smiled as he reached up and stroked the undamaged part of McGee's face. "We found him, Tim. We arrested him a couple of hours ago."

McGee blinked. "Seriously?"

"Wish you had been there. It was almost too easy. We caught him watching the rescue efforts."

"He couldn't resist, could he?"

"We'll talk about him later. I have some water. You need to drink something."

There were grunts as Watson and Jordan tried to move a steel beam that had fallen on the desk. Concrete pieces from the desk slid down to the floor in a crash. One of the pieces fell too close to McGee's legs and he threw back his head and yelled. Gibbs held onto his arm and shoulder as the two Lieutenants continued to pull until the beam landed in a crash.

"It's okay, Tim. We have to do this in order to get you free."

McGee nodded, gritting his teeth as sweat poured down his face. Watson and Jordan started to clear more debris when they felt a low rumble. They both dove for cover under a desk while Watson yelled, "Something's coming down."

Gibbs leaned over McGee shielding him with his body. A large chunk from the ceiling came crashing down, sending dust everywhere.

….

DiNozzo could hear the crash from where he was standing in the staging area. The Captain in charge started yelling for Watson on his walkie talkie, and he got nothing back but static. He cursed and ran over to the map.

Tony watched as dust billowed out the broken windows. It came drifting down at him, and he started coughing. He turned and looked back up the hill where Ziva was huddled with Abby. He knew she was watching him, but he could offer no assurances.

"DiNozzo."

He turned at the sound of his voice and saw Vance standing there. "That's the tenth crash that's come out of that space in the last two hours. McGee has survived all of them. I got a feeling about this. I think luck is on his side."

"What if the Captain calls down his men?"

Vance sighed. "Thought about that. You and I both know that Gibbs is not leaving without McGee. I can't have two of my best agents trapped up there. I think me and that Marine Captain aren't going to battle it out if it comes to that."

"While you do that, I'm going to hijack that crane."

"DiNozzo, you look like you just got a beat down from six Marines. Know your limits."

Tony shook his head. "Never seen Gibbs recognize any. Learned from his example."

Vance patted him on the back. "I'm not giving up on any of them yet. You don't either."

….

Gibbs heard men choking from the dust, and it told him that Watson and Jordan were still with them. He tried to wave the dust away from McGee. "You okay, Tim?"

McGee breathed in short bursts. "You're not going to get me out of here, are you?"

"I'm not giving up, and I won't put up with it from you. You hear me?"

McGee nodded.

"Watson! Jordan! You okay?" He shined the light through the dust.

"Damn, that was close, Gibbs."

Gibbs flashed the ceiling. More chunks of concrete and wiring hung precariously above them. "We got to get this done now!"

Jordan held up his walkie talkie. "The Captain has ordered us out."

Gibbs said. "We're close. The beam is off him. How much more is there?"

Watson surveyed the scene with the one working lantern he could find. "Another 10-15 minutes maybe. We got the big stuff out of the way."

"There's no time, Hugh, and we just got a direct order."

Watson looked at Gibbs. "We could go down and wait until things settle more. I could argue to get another hoist in two hours."

Gibbs shook his head. "Not leaving him. The time is now."

Watson pointed the lantern at the ceiling. "It's all too fragile."

"Alright, leave the backboard at least. I'll get him out myself."

"Doesn't work that way, Gibbs."

McGee pulled at Gibbs' arm. "If it's too dangerous, you can't stay. I understand, Boss. It doesn't help anyone if we're both dead."

Gibbs pulled away from him. "We're arguing when we could be working. Five minutes. Give me five minutes."

Watson looked at Jordan. "I'm staying."

"Damn you, Hugh! I have a family!"

"Five minutes, Jordy. We can't walk away from the kid." Without waiting for a response, Watson started dragging more debris. Jordan cursed and started pulling alongside him.

Gibbs closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them, he found McGee staring up at him. "Thank you."

"What would Abby say if I came down without you? Tony? Ziva? We're a team. We don't leave each other behind."

McGee swallowed. "I'm a lucky guy."

Gibbs patted his cheek lightly. "Are you going to say that next week when I'm yelling at ya' about something?"

McGee's eyes were watery so he only nodded.

….

Ziva slid her good arm around his waist and leaned into him, and Abby wrapped around him on his other side. He kissed Abby's cheek and the top of Ziva's head. "They'll be fine. I promise."

Abby had very little energy left to give. All she could do was rest her flushed, wet face on his neck. Ziva's eyes were still intense. "If they don't bring him down, you and I will go up. Between the two of us and Gibbs, we can do anything."

He rested his forehead on hers. The power of his love for her had been fully unearthed in this crisis. It was all he could do to not share all of his most private thoughts with her. He contented himself with sharing his breathing with hers.

There was a shout from above, and someone in full gear appeared at the window. The crane moved the box in his direction. When it was close to the window, the man climbed in, and then another man appeared and climbed in.

Tony cursed under his breath. "They're leaving him."

"No!" Abby sobbed into his neck.

Then a third man appeared, and he began feeding a backboard onto the hoist. The two men on the hoist pulled it in gently.

"It's Gibbs!" Ziva shouted.

Then Gibbs straddled the window and climbed in himself. A cheer rose up from the gathered, startling Tony. He hadn't realized all the people who had been watching and waiting around him. He squeezed Abby hard and then turned to Ziva. Her eyes were teary as she reached up on her toes and kissed him. He leaned into her, gently capturing her mouth.

Abby broke away and ran toward the crane as it landed the hoist and its cargo. Tony looked into Ziva's eyes. "You and I have a lot to talk about, my little minx."

She smiled. "Let's go see our McGee."

Medics were working on him by the time they got there. Abby had her arms wrapped around Gibbs watching their every move. Tony climbed in among the medics and found McGee's green eyes staring up at him. "Hey Probie."

McGee gave him the hint of a smile. Tony pondered a number of pithy comments about him lying down on the job or letting everyone else do the heavy lifting, but the lump in his throat prevented him. All he could manage was a tight smile.

McGee reached up with a hand covered in cuts and patted Tony's face. "The team's okay, right?"

"Yeah Probie, we're all okay."

"Hey man, we need space." A medic pushed Tony aside as they lifted McGee onto a stretcher and headed for an ambulance. Tony sat in the grass and watched as Abby trotted after the medics and McGee. Then he felt Ziva beside him; he took her offered hand and let her pull him to his feet.

"We should find the boss and get to the hospital."

Ziva pointed to Gibbs getting into the back of a car. "He isn't going with us. I don't know where he's going, but he says he's going to call in a couple of hours for updates on McGee."

….

He opened his eyes and surveyed the room. There were monitors everywhere, and he would've been alarmed if he hadn't talked to a cardiologist earlier about his condition. He'd always been the healthiest of men, but years of long hours and a less than careful diet had left his coronary arteries clogged. He would have to change his ways, but he was a man of great discipline, and he would do what was necessary as he knew he still had so much to offer the world.

A grunt surprised him and he looked down to find a silver head snoring by his arm. Donald Mallard reached over and patted the head gently. Blue eyes popped open and Gibbs lifted his head. "Duck, how ya' doing?"

"I'm going to be okay although finding you at my bedside is a bit of a shock. You should never surprise a man with a weak heart."

Gibbs smiled. "You look good."

"I look like an old man. Give me a few days and then I might believe you. How did you get here? I thought Dearing was loose."

"We got him within a few hours. Stupid fool stayed close so he could watch."

"How many dead, Jethro?"

Gibbs hesitated.

"I can take it."

"26 dead, 89 injured."

Ducky closed his eyes for a long moment. "And the ones we hold so dear?"

"Everyone's alive. McGee gave us a scare. He was trapped on the 2nd floor for a while. I talked to Tony when the helicopter landed. He says McGee has a broken hip, but is in good spirits."

"Oh dear. Poor Timothy."

"It might work out okay for him. Tony says Abby appears to be camped out there for the duration. She's even given him Bert to sleep with."

"I always knew you were a hopeless romantic."

"I've always had a soft spot for those two. His love for her is unconditional, and that's exactly what she needs."

Ducky smiled. "I can't quite believe you came all the way here. Even with Dearing in custody, there must be so much to do."

"Hey Duck, you're family. No way I was going to let you be alone right now.

Ducky squeezed his hand. "Thank you, my friend."

Ducky noticed that Gibbs' eyes looked heavy. He'd probably been working 36 hours straight. "Jethro, I'm still a bit tired. Going to close my eyes again, if you don't mind."

When he opened his eyes again a couple minutes later, Gibb was fast asleep. Ducky smiled. He had so many special people in his life.

…

The End


End file.
